1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a golf ball drive practice device and particularly to a golf practice device which returns balls to the user.
2. Prior Art
Golfers often engage in extensive practice of the various strokes used in actual golf play. The most common strokes practiced are putting, chipping and driving.
Putting strokes incorporate small stroke ranges resulting in short distances of ball travel. These factors as well as the relatively slow speed of the ball enable a golfer to practice putting in enclosed areas, such as an office, home or backyard. In contrast, driving shots result in relatively long distance ball travel at high velocities. It was difficult, if not impossible, to practice drive shots indoors.
Several devices have been developed to practice putting, such as the apparatus shown by Smith, U.S. Pat. No. 2,582,290 and Colson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,313. These devices provide ball targets and automatic ball returns to enable the user to remain at a normal putting distance from the target.
None of these practice putting devices, however, are suited for catching and returning golf balls driven with large clubs, such as drivers and distance clubs. The structure of these known devices are not adapted to withstand and absorb the momentum of a high velocity golf ball. Additionally, the relatively small targets cannot accommodate the wide range of trajectories of a hard driven golf ball.
In putting, any balls which miss the target simply roll to a stop or collide with some surrounding object, imparting little or no damage. In contrast, a driven ball which misses the target imparts great force to objects in its path, causing potentially extensive damage.
A golf ball hit by a large club, such as a driver or distance club, can follow a wide range of trajectories. The trajectories can have a variety of elevation angles and bearings. Because of the plurality of possible trajectories, drive shots have customarily been practiced in large fields, such as driving ranges, to avoid damage to surrounding objects. However, it is not always convenient or economical to use a driving range to practice golf driving shots.